UST896037I4

ABSTRACT

A UNIQUE, HIGH QUALITY PROTEIN FOOD COMPOSITION WHICH IS PARTICULARLY ADAPTED AS FOOD FOR FISH, OYSTERS AND CRUSTACEANS, IS PREPARED IN A FERMENTATION PROCESS IN WHICH A MICROORGANISM, SUCH AS BACTERIUM, IS GROWN ON A MIXTURE OF PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS. THE PREPARATION IS CONDUCTED IN AN INORGANIC SALT AND WATER UNDER AEROBIC CONDITIONS. AFTER FERMENTATION, THE MICROORGANISM CELLS ARE HARVESTED, STERILIZED, AND FED AS AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION TO FISH, CRUSTACEANS AND THE LIKE. OPTIONALLY, THE PROTEIN CONTENT OF THE STERILIZED, HARVESTED MICROOGRANISMS CAN BE SEPARATED FROM THE CELL WALLS AND OTHER NON-PROTEIN PRODUCTS BY EXTRACTING THE STERILLIZED, AQUEOUS SOLUTION AT A PH RANGING FROM ABOUT 8 TO 12. PROTEIN SUBSEQUENTLY CAN BE PRECIPITATED BY ACIDIFYING THE EXTRACT TO A PH IN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 5.2 TO 3.2. THE PRECIPITATED PROTEIN CAN THEN THEREAFTER BE FED TO FISH AND THE LIKE.



